Search York

Sd. Dated in March.

To another A like warrant to him to pay Gillan Brodlet, for em-

em roi ei- |jj.QJ(jering one hundred and twenty-two coats, 46/. 9,s. 8d.

Dated as before.

For span- A like warrant to him to pay Peter Richardson in prest,

^ ^^' to be employed upon spangles, 600/. Dated as before.

THE END OF THE SECOND BOOK.

A REPOSITORY

OF
DIVERS LETTERS,
AND
OTHER CHOICE MONUMENTS,
FROM AUTHENTIC MSS.
TO WHICH
REFERENCE IS MADE IN THE FOREGOING HISTORY.

A
REPOSITORY

OF
DIVERS LETTERS, &c.

A.
7%^ ceremonies and funeral solemnities paid to the corpse

of King Henry VIII.
After the corps was cold, and seen by the Lords of the Ex Offic.

Privy Council, and others the nobility of the realm, as ap- n.

pertained, commandment was given to the apothecaries,

chirurgeons, wax-chandlers and others, to do their duties in

spurging, cleansing, bowelling, cering, embalming, furnish-

ing, and dressing with spices the said corps; and also for

wrapping the same in cerecloth of many folds over the fine

cloth of rains and velvet, surely bound and trammeFd with

cords of silk. : which was done and executed of them ac-

cordingly, as to the dignity of such a mighty Prince it ap-

pertaineth : and a writing in great and small letters annexed

against the breast, containing his name and style, the day

and year of his death, in like manner. After this don, then

was the plummer and carpenter appointed to case him in

lead, and to chest him. Which being don, the said chest

was covered about with blew velvet, and a cross set upon

the same.
And the corps being thus ordained, the entrails and

bowels were honorably buried in the chappel within the said

place, with all manner of ceremonies thereimto belonging ;

don by the dean and ministers of the same chappel.

Then was the corps in the chest had into the midds of

the privy chamber, and set upon tressels with a rich pall of

cloth of gold, and a cross thereon, with all manner of lights
VOt. IT. PART II. U

290 A REPOSITORY

therto requisite; having divine service about him with

masses, obsequies, and prayers; and continual watch made

by his chaplains and gentlemen of his privy chamber, to the

number of thirty persons, besides the chaplains, continually

about him, in their orders and courses night and day, during

tlie time of his abode thei'e, which was five days. And in

the mean time, all things in the chappel, and for preparing of

his herse in the same, were continually a doing, as hereafter

shal be declared.
First, The chambers, galleries, hal, chappel, and al other

necessary places, were hanged with black, and garnished

with escutcheons of his armes, descents, and mariages.
In the said chappel was ordained a goodly formal herse,

with fourscore square tapers; every light containing two

foot in length, paising in the whole eighteen hundred weight

3. 14. p. 63. of wax; [another account saith, by estimation, two thou-

sand;] garnished about with pensils and escutcheons, ban-

ners and bannerols of descents. And at the four corners

four banners of saints beaten in fine gold upon damask ;

4 with a majesty therover of rich cloth of tissue, and vallance

of black silk, and fringe of black silk and gold. And the

barriers without the herse, and the sides and floor of the said

chappel, covered with black cloth, to the high altar : and all

the sides and ceiling of the said chappel set with banners

and standards of St. George and others.
And at the foot, where the corps should be reposed within

the herse, stood an altar covered with black velvet, adorned

with al manner of plate and jewels of the revestry : upon

which altar there was said mas continually dviring the time

that the corps was there remaining. And the high altar very

richly adorned with plate and jewels, and other ornaments.

And in the mean time commandment was given to al

manner of states, as wel noble men and women, to whom it

appertained, as to al of them of the King's house, to put

apart their several apparels, and put on them every man his

mourning weeds. And warrants directed out to the great

wardrobe, for the serving of them, every man and woman

after the rate and proportion appointed to their degrees : to

OF ORIGINALS.

291

the intent they might give their attendance in such kind of

service as to them should be appointed : which was accom-

plished of every man against the day the corps should be

removed.

The names of the mourners appointed to give their at-

tendance upon the said corps, as wel at the herse as in the

removing therof from place to place, hereafter follow.
CHIEF MOURNEE.
Henry Gray, Lord Marques of Dorset.
TWELVE MOURNERS.
Lord St. Johns, lord presi- Hen. RatclyfF, Earl of Sussex.

dent of the council.

Henry Fitz AUeyn, Earl of

Arundel, lord chamber-

lain.
John Vere, Earl of Oxford.
Fran. Talbot, Earl of Shrews-

bury.
Edw. Stanley, Earl of Derby.

Henry Parker, Lord Morley.

William Dacre, Lord Dacre

of the north.

Walter Devereux, Lord Fer-

rers.
Edw. Fyenns, Lord Clinton.

Edward Gray, Lord Gray.
John Scrope, Lord Scrope.

These noblemen prepared themselves in their mourning

habits, as hoods, mantles, gowns, and al other apparels, ac-

cording to their degrees ; and were in good order and readi-

ness at the Court, to give their attendance when they should

be called.

The names of the bishops and prelates appointed as well

for the executing and ministring divine service in the chap-

pel, as also to attend upon the conduct of the said corps

when it shall be removed.

Steven Gardiner, bishop of

Winchester, chief prelate.
Cutbert Tunstal, bishop of

Durham.
Edmund Boner, bishop of

London.
Th. Goodrich, bishop of Ely.
William Barlow, bishop of

St. Davids. 5

Henry Holbeach, bishop of
Rochester.

John Wakeman, bishop of

Glocester.

Arthur Bulkley, bishop of

Bangor.

Paul Bush, bishop of Bristow.

u 2

292 A REPOSITORY

Whereof the Bishop of Winchester was appointed to make the

sermon ; and being chief prelate of the order, to execute.

These, with al other chaplains and men of the church,

were commanded to be ready in their jwnti/icaUbiis, and

others for the execution of divine service at the time ap-

pointed, as followeth :

The second day of the montli of February, being Wed-

nesday, and Candlemas day, betwixt eight and nine of the

clock at night, the herse being lighted, and all other things

appointed and prepared, the said most royal corps was re-

verendly taken and removed from the cliambers, coA'ered

with a rich pall of cloth of tissue, crossed with white tissue,

and garnished with escutcheons of his arms ; and so brovight

to the chapel by the lord great master, the officers of house-

hold, gentlemen of the privy chamber, esquires for the body,

and other noblemen and gentlemen, both spiritual and tem-

poral ; placed in their degrees, and going before the corps,

and after, with lights meet for the same. And there it was

honorably set and placed within the said herse, under a pall

of rich cloth of tissue, garnished with escutcheons, and a

rich cloth of gold set with precious stones theron.
And the corps being so reposed in the herse, the dean of

the chappel, with all other chaplains and ministers therof fel

to their oraisons and suffrages.
After that, the gentlemen ushers, with officers of arms,

and others therto appointed, began their watch in due course

and order, as to them appertained, for that night ; which

order was also kept and continued honorably night and day,

during the said corps there being, with al divine service meet

and convenient for the same.

So the morrow after, being Thursday, the 3d of February,

between nine and ten before noon, the mourners assembled

themselves in the pallet chamber, in their mourning ap-

parel, with their hoods on their heads : and from thence

were conveyed to chappel in form following ; that is to say,

two and two in order after their degrees, next to the chief;

and then the chief mourner with his train born after him,

conducted with officers of arms, and gentlemen ushers, the

OF ORIGINALS. 293

vice-chamberlain and divers others following them, after

their degrees : and so proceded til they came to the herse,

where they were placed, and kneeled about the corps on

either side, as they proceded ; and the chief mourners at

the head.
Then Norroy king of arms, standing at the quire door,

with his face to the people, said with a loud voice, " Of

" your charity pray for the soul of the high and most mighty

" Prince, our late Sovereign Lord and King Henry VIII.""'

Which he did daily at the beginning of al masses and di-

riges. Then from the vestry of the said chappel came out O

three bishops in pont'ificalibus, and began the 7'equiem mass

at the high altar, the chappel singing and saying the cere-

monies therto appertaining, in most solempn and goodly wise,

to the oiFertory.

Then was a carpet and quission laid by the gentlemen

and yeomen huishers, for the chief mourner ; who immedi-

ately came up to the offering, with the rest following after

him in order two and two, as aforesaid, conducted by officers

at arms, and gentlemen huishers. Then the chief mourner,

receiving the offering; of the Lord Chamberlain, did offer

the same, assisted with al the rest, and none other offering

but he : and so returned in like order, leaving the corps on

the right hand, and placed themselves as they were before,

within the herse. And after the mas was ended, the pre-

lates that executed came from the altar down to the herse ;

and they censed the said corps with al maner of cere-

monies therto appertaining : and that don, they returned to

the vestry. And the mourners departed, conducted in or-

der, as aforesaid, to the chamber of presence; where was

prepared for them a sumptuous dinner ; and the chief

mourner served with assays, and al other service, saving

the estate, as if it had been the Kings Majesty personally

present.
When the divine service was don, every man drew him-

self to his lodging til afternoon at the hour appointed. And

then they repaired again to the said chamber, from whence

they were had and conducted in like maner to the chappel,

u3

S94 A REPOSITORY

and placed about the corps, kneeling within the herse, as

afore is mentioned. Then Norroy king at arms came out

and proclaimed his style, bidding the prayers; and with

that, the prelates before named began the placebo and di-

rige. And at every lesson Norroy went out, and bad the

bede.
Thus the aforesaid prelates, with the dean and chapter,

continued in al maner of service and ceremonies, dirigies

and masses, censings, watching, saying of psalters, and al

other rites and duties, as wel in the forenoon as after, by

night and by day during the abode of the corps within the

chappel; which was twelve days. In the mean time the

herses at Sion and Windsor, and al other kinds of prepa-

ration, were doing ; which was set forth as hereafter fol-

loweth.
First, the church of Sion, and the choir, with the house,

chambers, and lodgings, where the ambassadors and nobles

should repair, were hung to the ground with black cloth,

and garnished with escotcheons of the Kings armes in the

garter and manages. In the midst of the choir there was

ordained a royal and stately herse of nine principals with

double stories, and a costly majesty, a vallance fringed with

black silk and gold, and hatchments garnished over al with

pencils, escotcheons of armes, bannerols of descents; and

about the same double barriers hanged Avith black cloth,

escotcheons ; and the floor of the same herse covered with

black cloth to the high altar: which was al covered with

black velvet, and preciously adorned with al maner of plate

*J and jewels of the church, silver, gold, and precious stones,

in the best wise. And the said herse continued with al sorts

of lights in great number.
And at Windsor, the ways of passage from the castle-

bridfje to the west door of the colledj; were railed on both

sides the way, and hanged with black cloth to the ground

with escotcheons of arms and manages: and so were the

lodgings of the ambassadors and nobles within the castle ;

and al the church peranible, and the choir of the college

hung and garnished as aforesaid : and the whole floor of

OF ORIGINALS. 295

the choir was spread with black cloth. And the hersc

standing in the midst of the said choir was of a wonderful

state and proportion ; that is to say, formed in compas of

eight panes, and thirteen principals, double storied, of

thirty-five foot high, curiously wrot, painted, and gilded,

having in it a wonderful sort of lights, amounting in price

of wax to the sum of four thousand pound weight, and gar-

nished underneath with a rich majesty, and a doome double

vallanced: on the which on either side was written the

Kings word in beaten gold upon silk, and his armes of

descents. And the whole herse was richly fringed with

double fringes of black silk and gold on either side, both

within and without, very gorgous, and valiant beheld.
And above, over al the herse among the lights, it was set

and garnished with pensils, scutcheons of arms and manages,

with hatchments of silk and gold, and divers bannerols of

descents, depending in goodly order round about the herse.

Also the double barriers of the said herse were hang-ed with

black cloth, and set with escotcheons of the Kings armes,

and al the floor overspread with black cloth to the high

altar: which altar was hanged with cloth of gold, and

adorned with all the precious jewels of the church, as can.

dlesticks, crosses, basins, censers, shipes, and images of gold

and silver in great abundance. And another altar set at

the foot where the corps should ly within the herse, co-

vered with black velvet, hanged also with the richest orna-

ments and plate, that in the best form and order might be

devised.
Now while these things were in hand, and continually

working by artificers and others therto appointed, there was

ordained for the corps a sumptuous and valuable chariot of

four wheels, very long and large, with four pillars overlaid

al with cloth of gold at the four corners, bearing a pillow of

rich cloth of gold and tissue, fringed with a goodly deep

fringe of blew silk and gold : and underneath that, turned

towards the chariot, was a marvellous excellent cloth of

majesty, having in it a doom artificially wrought in fine gold

upon oyl. And al the nether part of the said chariot was

u 4

296

A REPOSITORY

hanged with blew velvet down to the ground between the

wheels, and al other parts of the chariot enclosed in like

maner with blew velvet.

Forthwith were al other necessary things for the conduct

of the said noble corps with al speed devised and set forth,

to be ready at the day the same should be removed.
There was also order taken for the clearing and mending

of all the high ways between Westminster and Windsor,

whereas the corps should pas; and the noisome boughs

Scut down of every side the way, for prejudiceing of the

standards, banners, and bannerols. And where the Avay8

were narrow, there were hedges opened on either side, so as

the footmen might have free passage, without tarrying or

disturbing of their orders.

Item, My Lord of Worcester, the Kings almoner, with

other his ministers and assistants, did dayly distribute to the

poor people, as wel about the Kings house at Westminster,

as at Leadenhal in London, and divers other places, great

plenty of mony in almesdeeds, both in open doles, and by

way of proclamation ; and especially in the wards of Lon-

don, wheras need was, to the great relief and comfort of the

poor people.

There was also two carts laden with hatches and escot-

cheons of armes delivered to the said almoner, to distribute

them, with certain mony, to the parishes along the way :

which carts went forth before the removing with the al-

moners deputies, and delivered the same to the curats and

clerks of the churches here ensuing :

Charine-cross.
St
minster.
St. Giles in the Fields
Chelsith.
Norwood.
Thwykenham.
Hownslow.
Northal.
Bedford.

Margaret at West-

Fulham.
Kensington.

S. Martin.
Cheswick.
Hammersmith.
Stough.
Graiford.
Harlington.
Stanwel.
Eton.

Acton.
Yerling.

Branforth.
Hanwel.
New Branforth.
Syon.
Thistleworth.
Hillington.
Shewer.
Iver.

OF ORIGINALS. 297

Colbrooke.

Shipston.

Langley.

Heston.

Docket.

Farnham.

Stanes.

Hais.

Windsor.

Knightsbridg.

Drayton.

Windsor college.

The curats and clerks of these churches had torches and

escotcheons and money delivered them by the Kings al-

moners. And when the corps was coming, they stood in

the way in their best ornaments, and honorably received

the same, bidding their oraisons and prayers as appertained,

and devoutly censed the corps as it proceeded. Which

order Avas kept al the long way between Westminster and

Windsor, ever as the corps removed.
These and other things reqviisite to the removing in

maner afore declared, ordained, and provided, on Sunday

morning the 13 day of February, at the high altar of the

chappel, where the corps remained, there were sung three

solemn masses by bishops in pontificaUbus in sundry suits.

The first of our Lady, in white : the second of the Trinity,

in blew : the third of requiem, by the right reverend the

Bishop of Winchester, in black. And at every mas two bi-

shops mitred to minister therto, as epistolar and gospeller.

When the chief mourner, with al the rest of the lords

mourners were set and kneeled within the herse, the chap-

pel and al the people keeping silence, Norroy king at amies

began the bedes in form before expressed. And the choir

began the office of the first mas ; and so proceded solemnly g

with the prelates executing to the offertory of the mas of

requiem. Then the chief mourner, accompanied with al the

rest of the mourners, offered for them al. So the mas pro-

ceded to the end. The mas don, the prelats as aforesaid

censed the corps, the chappel singing Libera me, Domine.

That don, they went into the revestry again. Immediately

the mourners, with al other prelats, drew to the chamber of

presence to dinner, as is aforesaid.

That same day was proclamation made, that al men al-

lowed black liveries of the King should give attendance the

next day at five of the clock, at Charing-cross, for the con-

S98 A REPOSITORY

duct of the said corps to Syon that night. Item^ That al

such as had cariage of their masters should go before for

troubUng the passage of tlie said corps in the way.
After dinner they withdrew to their chambers, and re-

sorted to the chappel in due time, as is aforesaid : where

was dirig-e witli censing of the corps, al suffrages and du-

ties therto appertaining. That done, they went to supper.

But there Mas solemn watch about the corps, with conti-

nual prayer and lights al that night.

The next day early, [the 14 February,] the chariot was

brought to the court hal door ; and the coi-ps with great

reverence brought from the herse to the same by mitred

prelats, and other temporal lords. In this wise went the

bishops two and two in order, saying their prayers, torches

plenty on every side the corps, born by sixteen yeomen of

the guard under a rich canopy of blew velvet fringed with

silk and gold, which was holdcn up with six blew staves and

knops of gold ; the six staves were born by six barons; viz.

the Lords Burgaveny, Conyers, Latymer, Fitzwater, Bray,

and Cromwel: which lords executed the said office as oft

as the said corps was removed to and fro the choir. Then

followed the chief mourner and the rest of the lords mourn-

ers in order, with torches light, born on every side in great

numbers : and so was it reverently setled in the bulk of the

chariot. Over the coffin of the said chair was cast a pall of

rich cloth of gold, and upon that a goodly image like to the

Kings person in al points, wonderful richly apparelled, with

velvet, gold, and precious stones of al sorts ; holding in his

right hand a scepter of gold ; in his left hand the bal of the

world with a cross. Upon his head a crown imperial of in-

estimable value, a collar of the Garter about his neck, and a

garter of gold about his leg. Which thus being honorably

conducted as aforesaid, was laid upon the said coffin by the

gentlemen of his privy chamber upon rich cushions of cloth

of gold, and fast bound with silk ribbands to the pillars of

the said chariot, for removing. Then were set at the head

and feet of the said corps, Sir Anthony Denny and Sir

OF ORIGINALS. 299

William Herbert, two of the chief of his privy chamber ;

which kept their rooms, and were caried in the chariot with

the corps.
The chariot with the corps and representation so dis-

posed, was garnished about with fourteen bannerols of

manages and descents ; that is to say, six at either side, and